HOPELESSNESS Synonyms: 77 Similar and Opposite Words

hopelessness

noun

Definition of hopelessness

as in desperation

utter loss of hope the fans' hopelessness was dispelled as their team mounted a comeback

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of hopelessness Few residents wanted to speak about politics, citing a general feeling of hopelessness and frustration. — Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 Burdick seemed to have drawn directly from McCarthy’s experience, the hopelessness of fighting with his father over a world his father had already ruined, the surrender to indulgence and mindless violence because…why not? — Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026 In that sense, the dead-end setting of their journey across a volatile landscape in which humans might be an afterthought seems to reflect their hopelessness. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026 What could that dirt road and the horizon beyond it mean—hope or hopelessness? — Hilton Als, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 According to 2025 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a third of youth have persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness — about 10% more than a decade earlier. — Darius Tahir, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026 Corruption across the political divide Much of this year’s fatigue traces back to a sense of hopelessness over systemic corruption, which ranks among voters’ biggest concerns, yet neither camp can claim the issue as its own, say experts. — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026 Women are more likely than men to report severe depression and hopelessness following breakups, but men are three to four times more likely to commit suicide. — George Loewenstein, Vogue, 28 Sep. 2026 In interviews with The Post, current and former detainees described frequent fights and feelings of hopelessness. — Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 27 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hopelessness

Noun

Hearings, trials, interviews—these are the contexts from which audience derives, and the word retains echoes of desperation.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026
Pettersson’s desperation check worked, as Greer spilled the puck into the high slot, where Lekkerimäki was waiting.

— Thomas Drance, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of desperation

Noun

Tsai, the Stanford professor, has conducted research on how emotion in American culture puts value on trying to always feel positive and minimizing negativity and sadness.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Survey findings About 28% of Gaston respondents reported moderate or higher levels of negative emotions such as sadness, anxiety, anger or boredom, compared with roughly 10% in Union, Venkitasubramanian said.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of sadness

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hopeless

hopelessness

hopes

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“Hopelessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hopelessness. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of hopelessness

noun

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